Automobile mounted clothes hanger support



June 19, 1951 M. c. DELLINGER ET AL 2,557,254

AUTOMOBILE MOUNTED CLOTHES HANGER SUPPORT Filed June 4, 1949 MR u 3W L l- E D C m T R A M R E G W L L E D C L w P Patented June 19, 1951 AUTOMOBILE MOUNTED CLOTHES HANGER SUPPORT MartinKC. Dellinger and Paul C. Dellinger, Man.- heim.'1.ownship,-;Lancaster County, Pa.-

Appli' cation June-4, 1949, Seria'l'No; 97,252

LGIaimS; 1.1

This: invention; relates: tn: hangers: and; more particularly; to" aa hanger of: the type. which" can bezrnmmtedioverrtheedgerof at windovWinranauto mohilez-or otherz-vehicle to"provide a support upon whichirelativelyheavy objects such'a's briefcases and the like may-zbelhung; as'zwell las; clothing; umbrellasgrandziother articles iof'a lighternature.

There areamany type's ft" hangers on the market 'fort'useinzautomobiles',- some of which include vacuumscups sforattaching. 'a-hanger: or-support to theside: window glassofi the automobile. This typeof; hanger i'smdesirable; in that it-permits the window to'c-be 'tightly closed, and raise'd or loweredii but; like most of: the hangers provided for automobilezuse'; it will not support-heavy articles andi makes no provision:- for-"safely securing-r the article: or its support, such" as a coat hanger; against accidental dislodg'ment when the vehicle stops-suddenly or 'swerves turning" a corner-'01 thfi'ilik'e;

viniobjectlcfthis inventiorr is to provide'a read.-

demount'able hanger which maybe disposed over the upper edge of thesi'de wi'ndow'glass' or the? like of an automcbileor other vehicle and whichzwill permit-the vehicle window 'to be closed,- withthe upper'edge ofthe window received within: its sea-ling channel in the window frame; the hangenbeing firmly and-rigidly suppertedby the window;

Another" object ottheihvention is to provide a hanger,. including a clasp and keeper arrangem'entwhicla will support: articles: insuch manner as to; prevent accidental dislodgmentz- Another obj ectof theinvent'ion is to" provide a hanger with a; pivoted clasp; including-a depending hookfor the reception of" an article to be car ried by the hanger, with thehook bei hgd'i'sposed outwardly of the pivot-for-the clasp whereby the weight?of the articlevsupported by the hook will tend to rotate the clasp into a closed position and hold it there:

A further object of the inventionisltohpmvide ahanger; including a cl'osedl hook type. clasp which will receive and support articles of'consid' erable sizeand weight;- the lio'ek being movable about a. pivot to effect opening of the hook and readyremoval of the article supportedaby'the hock.

An additional object of theinventionistoprovidea: hanger, including-a. plurality of h'ooksfor the reception of a plurality of articles disposed in spaced relationship; with the hooks being substantially enclosed to prevent.dislodgmenteoixthe articlesssupported by therxhocks.

Another; object ofthe inventionzis to fprovidea 2; hanger. with a pivotedahook type: claspwhich may be automatically opened. by: pressure: applied"; to thethookandwhichwill automatically close upon thetrelea'se o'fpre'ssure;

Other: obj ects r of! the-.inventionzwill become: ap parent-upon: consideration of; the? following: deiscription of a; preferred". embodiment: of" the-in;- ventionlwhichsisillustrated inithe; attached draw in'g'and irrwhi'ch';

Figure 1- i's aNieWpartialIy in side elevationand' partiallyimsection; showing a hanger of'zthepresrenti invention": mounted-i upon a; side" window; of" a; vehicle; and

. Figurefliisa sectional'iview taken along thell'ine" II-IIiof Figure-.1.

Referringto Figure l, the hanger includes a base plate' 2': which: is' provided with. a" hook 3 of U-shape andincludin'g a flangeJ andIa -depend ing, clamping: portion. 5: adapted to be: disposed over a; glass window 6; for example; of an automobile. l he base 21ancl the hack 3 are: preferably: integrally formed'and the width:of' the flangefl is predetermined so: that: the? base;- 2J and the clamping portion 5:01 the book 3 liein: firm engagement with the:g1'as's" 4-. This permits the hook porti'on of thehanger'tobe' received within th'ei-gasketing channel '1 off the: window frame of: the v'ehicle;

A hook-shaped clasp ii is pivoted to the base plate 2 7 being received between tongues -9 prefer ably struck: from the metal of" the base: plate 2- and.projecting:at -right angles to the base plate. Only one tongue is shown in Figurel, theton'gue not: shown lying directlyi'ri' back of" the tongue which is shown and bei-n'g of thesame construe"- ti'ona The :two tongues: 9 are spaced apart a dis-- ta noe to receive: the clasp- 8" therebetween. A rivet lll-isprovided as a pivot: about which the clasp 8 may rotate from the normally- 'closed positi'onshown-min: sci-id lines to" the open position showmihdottedflines;

The deep 8' 'isof hook shape, asindi'cated in Figure 1 andthere is provided a curved opening H betw'eenthe c1asp 8andtl'ie base plate 2- for the reception of the: handle of a brief case; the handle of" an umbrella, the hook end of a coat hanger, or'other article-to be-supported'. Preferably: the terminal end I! of the clasp 8 is receivediwithin a -keeper" l3 which may be -formed integrally: with: the base plate 2 It -is preferably of" hockshape .withrani opening! 4' for the-reception: of? a: cGathaTlg'er-Tmithe like; The keeper I3: is: foldedi o'rz' bent; asihdi'cated' in Figure: 2.; so as to provide abutments I5 and I6! spaced from one anothen a-z distance suflicientito receive the terminal edge I2 of the clasp 8 and hold the clasp against lateral displacement. The keeper I3 also serves to hold the clasp 8 with its terminal end l2 spaced outwardly from the pivot l0. Thus, the weight of any article carried by the clasp tends to move the clasp to closed position and hold it with the end 12 lying within the keeper I3, as shown in solid lines in Figure 1. A limiting stop member [1 is preferably formed on the clasp 8 to insure that the weight of any article hung on the clasp will be disposed forward of the pivot and also to prevent the article or its support from sliding on the clasp and falling between the clasp and keeper which might cause the clasp to be opened.

The lower surface of the clasp 8 is curved as indicated at 18, with the curved portion extending generally upwardly toward the pivot 10. This provides a surface against which a coat hanger, for example, may be pressed or thrust; and this will impart a generally outward and upward component of force to the hook-shaped clasp, causing it to automatically open by pivoting about the point ID. The surface IQ of the keeper I3 is also curved to facilitate the entry of the hook end of the coat hanger or the like into engagement with the surface 18 of the clasp by an upward thrust in the general vicinity of the lower edge of the clasp and keeper. When the hook end of the hanger has moved into the opening l2 and leaves the clasp 8 and keeper [3, the clasp automatically closes. Its own weight causes it to move to closed position, rotating about the pivot Ill. The weight of the coat hanger and any garment it may carry will hold the clasp in closed position when the coat hanger comes to rest on the inner surface 20 of the clasp. The stop [1 will prevent the coat hanger from overriding the hook, and the keeper [3 will hold the clasp against lateral displacement. Thus the coat hanger or any other article so positioned on the hanger will be securely held against accidental dislodgment.

A projection 2| is preferably provided on the clasp 8 for digital engagement to effect opening of the clasp when it is desired to remove any article received with the opening II. This may also serve as an auxiliary hook for the reception of a hat or other article to be carried and may serve as a limiting stop to position a brief case or the like, the handle of which may be hung over the clasp 8 in. engagement with the upper surface 22 thereof.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be understood that the same is not limited thereto member, a generally c-shaped clasp pivoted to the base member closely adjacent to the surface thereof, a limiting stop projecting upwardly at the terminal edge of said clasp, a digital portion projecting from said clasp adjacent the top thereof for manual opening of said clasp, a lipped keeper formed as a rounded hook projecting outwardly from the base member and having provided thereon a pair of laterally projecting guide members which define a groove therebetween which receives the terminal end of said clasp when the clasp is in closed position and prevents lateral displacement of said clasp, said limiting stop lying beyond said pivot and causing the weight of an article received by said clasp and lying adjacent said stop to urge said clasp into closed position within said keeper, and inclined exposed lower surfaces on said clasp and keeper where they join when in closed position providing for the creation of an outward thrust component upon said clasp to move it to open position automatically when an article to be disposed within but may be otherwiseembodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. A hanger comprising a base member, a hookshaped clasp pivoted to the base member for movement from a position where the clasp is in closed position to an open position, a keeper on said base member having provided thereon a pair of laterally projecting guide members which define a groove therebetween which receives a portion of said clasp to limit lateral movement of said clasp when in closed position, and an article supporting hook on said' clasp, said hook being disposed forwardly of said pivot in all positions of said clasp, whereby any weight applied to the article supporting hook will cause said clasp to be urged about its pivot into closed position.

2. A hanger comprising a sheet metal base the clasp is pressed upwardly against said inclined surfaces, said clasp automatically closing about said article after it passes into-the clasp beyond the terminal end thereof.

3. A hanger comprising a base member, a keeper on the base member, a hook-shaped clasp pivoted to the base member and projecting outwardly therefrom with the terminal end of the clasp depending below the pivot and lying in engagement with the keeper when in closed position, an upwardly projectin limiting stop on the terminal edge of. said clasp to hold any article on said clasp away from the terminal end of said clasp, an inclined surface on one of said clasp and keeper and effective upon engagement by an article inserted between said clasp and keeper and the application of an upward thrust thereto to effect an outward component of force to said clasp to cause the same to pivot away from said keeper, automatically opening said clasp for the reception of said article.

4. A hanger comprising a base member, a keeper on the base member, a hook-shaped clasp pivoted to the base member for movement from a position where the clasp is in closed position in engagement with said keeper to an open position, an article supporting hook provided on the upper portion of said clasp, said hook being disposed forwardly of said pivot, and an upwardly projecting limiting stop on the lower terminal edge of said clasp also disposed forwardly of said pivot whereby any weight applied to the article supporting hook will cause said clasp to be urged about its pivot into closed position in engagement with said keeper. MARTIN C. DELLINGER.

PAUL C. DELLINGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date,

376,453 Scott Jan. 17, 1888 1,970,962 Hinckley Aug. 21, 1934 2,344,339 ZWald Mar. 14, 1944 2,346,276 Reittinger Apr. 11, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 6,579 Switzerland Apr. 27, 1893 109,240 Germany Nov. 2, 1900 

